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Νικόδημος

Nikódēmos

G3530 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A masculine proper name meaning 'victory of the people'; refers specifically to an individual referenced in the New Testament, a prominent Pharisee and member of the Judean ruling class who engaged with Jesus in the Gospel of John. The name carries the idea of being victorious or triumphant on behalf of, or among, a people or community. Used exclusively as a proper name in extant Greek literature, particularly in the context of Hellenistic and Roman Judean or wider Israelite society.

Semantic Range

personal name; victory of/for the people; used only as a proper name in ancient sources

Root / Etymology

From νῖκος (nikos, 'victory') and δῆμος (dēmos, 'people'). Formed as a compound, a common pattern in Greek anthroponymy (personal names) with parallels e.g., in Nicomachus (Νικόμαχος, 'battle-victory').

Historical & Contextual Notes

Νικόδημος is attested in Greek inscriptions and papyri from the Hellenistic period onwards, though not a widespread name. In the New Testament, Nicodemus is a Judean leader (ἄρχων τῶν Ἰουδαίων) appearing only in the Gospel of John (John 3, 7, 19), where he is depicted as a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, representing the intellectual elite of Jerusalem. The name itself has no religious or ethnic connotations, being typical of Hellenistic naming practices adopted by Judeans and other peoples throughout the eastern Mediterranean. Despite later translation traditions equating 'Nicodemus' with a specifically 'Jewish' figure, in the original context the name signals Greek cultural contact and may connote a cosmopolitan or acculturated family background. The meaning 'victory of the people' is a learned or etymological interpretation and may not reflect how the individual or contemporaries understood the significance of the name.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from νῖκος and δῆμος; victorious among his people; Nicodemus, an Israelite:--Nicodemus.

Root Family

Νικόδημος (Nikodēmos) — victory, people

Root νικ-; δημ- victory, people

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G3530-01 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos 5

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G3530-01 John 3:1 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos
G3530-01 John 3:4 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos
G3530-01 John 3:9 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos
G3530-01 John 7:50 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos
G3530-01 John 19:39 Νικόδημος nikodemos N NOM M SG Nicodemus Victory-of-the-People Nikodemos
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